Fundamental Principles and Discovery of Gravitation

Gravitation is defined as a universal force.
It acts not only between two objects situated on the Earth but also between any two objects located anywhere in the expansive universe.

The phenomenon of gravitation was discovered by Sir Isaac Newton.
The discovery was prompted by the observation of an apple falling from a tree toward the ground.
During this discovery process, Newton explored several hypothetical questions regarding the movement of the apple:
- Why do all apples fall vertically downward rather than at an angle to the vertical?
- Why do apples not fly off in a horizontal direction?
Newton reached the conclusion that the Earth must be attracting the apple towards itself.
He determined that this attractive force must be directed specifically toward the center of the Earth.

The direction from an object (such as an apple on a tree) to the center of the Earth is defined as the vertical direction at that object's position.
Consequently, the apple falls vertically downwards because of this specific orientation.
The force exerted on an object is directed along the perpendicular line extending from the object's position to the surface of the Earth.
This gravitational force persists across various heights and distances, such as the force existing between the Earth and the Moon.

Newton hypothesized that if the force of gravitation acts on objects like apples at different heights from the Earth's surface, it could naturally extend to objects at much greater distances.
The moon is an example of an object at a significant height that is subject to this force.
The theory further extends to even more distant celestial objects, suggesting that the force of gravitation acts on other planets and the Sun.

A force is an essential requirement to create a change in the state of motion of an object.
Specifically, a force is necessary to change both the speed and the direction of an object's motion.

Recall and consideration of the following concepts is essential for a complete understanding of gravitation:
1. What are the effects of a force acting on an object?
2. What types of forces are you familiar with?
3. What do you know about the gravitational force?
4. What are Newton's laws of motion?

Integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT): Collect and review videos and presentations (ppts) regarding the gravitational force of different planets in the solar system.